• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권20호
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• pp.8549-8556
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• 2014

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the world top ten most common cancers with its highest occurrence in the Indian subcontinent and different aggressive and etiological behavioural patterns. The scenario is only getting worst with the 5 year survival rates dropping to 50%, persistent treatment failures and frequent cases of relapse/recurrence. One of the major reasons for these failures is the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small population of cancer cells that are highly tumourigenic, capable of self-renewal and have the ability to differentiate into cells that constitute the bulk of tumours. Notably, recent evidence suggests that cancer stem cells are especially resistant to conventional therapy and are the "drivers" of local recurrence and metastatic spread. Specific markers for this population have been investigated in HNSCC in the hope of developing a deeper understanding of their role in oral cancer pathogenesis, elucidating novel biomarkers for early diagnosis and newer therapeutic strategies. This review covers the fundamental relevance of almost all the CSC biomarkers established to date with a special emphasis on their impact in the process of oral tumourigenesis and their potential role in improving the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of OSCC patients.

• BMB Reports
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• 제49권11호
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• pp.623-628
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• 2016

GPR78 is an orphan G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that is predominantly expressed in human brain tissues. Currently, the function of GPR78 is unknown. This study revealed that GPR78 was expressed in lung cancer cells and functioned as a novel regulator of lung cancer cell migration and metastasis. We found that knockdown of GPR78 in lung cancer cells suppressed cell migration. Moreover, GPR78 modulated the formation of actin stress fibers in A549 cells, in a RhoA- and Rac1-dependent manner. At the molecular level, GPR78 regulated cell motility through the activation of $G{\alpha}q$-RhoA/Rac1 pathway. We further demonstrated that in vivo, the knockdown of GPR78 inhibited lung cancer cell metastasis. These findings suggest that GPR78 is a novel regulator for lung cancer metastasis and may serve as a potential drug target against metastatic human lung cancer.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2003년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2-2
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• pp.170.2-170.2
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• 2003

Ras expression has been suggested as a marker for tumor aggressiveness of breast cancer, including the degrees of invasion and tumor recurrence. We previously showed that p38 MAPK is a key signaling molecule differentially regulated by H-ras and N-ras, leading to H-ras-specific cell invasive and migrative phenotypes in human breast epithelial cells (Cancer Res: 63, 5454-5461, 2003). In this study, we further investigated the role of p38 MARK pathway in the induction of metastatic potential in MCF10A cells as a "gain of function" study. (omitted)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권9호
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• pp.5461-5465
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• 2013

Oral cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers worldwide, decreasing the patient's survival rate due to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Menadione (Vitamin K3) is known to exhibit cytotoxicity in various cancer cells but the present study focused on its effects on viability, apoptosis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), anchorage independent growth and migration of oral cancer cells. The results show that menadione is more cytotoxic to SAS (oral squamous carcinoma) cells but not to non-tumorigenic HEK293 and HaCaT cells. Menadione treatment increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, Bax and p53, with a concurrent decrease in anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and p65. Menadione induced the expression of E-cadherin but reduced the expression of EMT markers, vimentin and fibronectin. Menadione also inhibited anchorage independent growth and migration in SAS cells. These findings reveal and confirm that menadione is a potential candidate in oral cancer therapy as it exhibits cytotoxic, antineoplastic and antimigratory effects besides effectively blocking EMT in oral cancer cells.

• 대한세포병리학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.93-97
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• 2000

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is an uncommon, low grade malignant epithelial neoplasm and metastasis is exceedingly rare. This article highlights the fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) of a case of metastatic epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the scalp. A 51-year-old female presented with the left parietotemporal scalp mass two months after the lett parotidectomy for epithelial-myoeplthelial carcinoma. FNAC from the scalp mass showed a biphasic population of ductal epithelial and myoeplthelial origin. These epithelial aggregates were numerous and formed a distinct three dimensional architecture in the background of numerous naked nuclei. The three dimensional architectures were predominantly composed of tightly cohesive eosinophilic ductular epithelial cells which tended to aggregate, overlap, and form tubules. Clear myoepithelial cells in three dimensional tissue fragment were inapparent and a few were attached to the periphery of the fragments. A few myoepithelial cells with clear abundant vaculoated cytoplasm were found In the foamy background. The cytological diagnosis was metastatic epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. The histologic findings of the scalp mass were those of typical epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. Cytologic distinction of epithelial-myoepithleial carcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, and adenoid. Cytologic carcinoma may be very difficult but careful attention to clinical features and cellualr details can classify these neoplasms correctly.

• BMB Reports
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• 제57권6호
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• pp.273-280
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• 2024

Cancer cells metastasize to distant organs by altering their characteristics within the tumor microenvironment (TME) to effectively overcome challenges during the multistep tumorigenesis. Plasticity endows cancer cell with the capacity to shift between different morphological states to invade, disseminate, and seed metastasis. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a theory derived from tissue biopsy, which explains the acquisition of EMT transcription factors (TFs) that convey mesenchymal features during cancer migration and invasion. On the other hand, adherent-to-suspension transition (AST) is an emerging theory derived from liquid biopsy, which describes the acquisition of hematopoietic features by AST-TFs that reprograms anchorage dependency during the dissemination of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The induction and plasticity of EMT and AST dynamically reprogram cell-cell interaction and cell-matrix interaction during cancer dissemination and colonization. Here, we review the mechanisms governing cellular plasticity of AST and EMT during the metastatic cascade and discuss therapeutic challenges posed by these two morphological adaptations to provide insights for establishing new therapeutic interventions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권8호
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• pp.3751-3755
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• 2012

Aim: Tea polyphenols are known to play roles in critical steps of human lung carcinoma cell metastasis. For understanding the mechanisms whereby they inhibit tumor metastasis, the present study was conducted to investigate their effects on the adhesion of highly metastatic lung carcinoma cell lines (PG cells) to endothelial cells (EC cells) and adhesion molecule expression in vitro. Methods: The expression of CD44 or CD54 in the PG cells was detected by flow cytometry and adhesion of PG cells to EC cells was assessed by confocal microscopy double fluorescence staining. Results: The results showed that tea polyphenols: (1) inhibited the expression of CD44 and CD54, two important adhesion molecules in the PG cells in a dose-dependent manner; (2) significantly blocked the adhesion of PG cells to EC cells not only in a state of rest but also when active; and (3) influenced CD44 and CD54 expression during the adhesion process of PG cells to EC cells. Conclusions: The data indicated that the blocking role of tea polyphenols in the adhesion of PG cells to EC cells is related to CD44 and CD54. The mechanism of tea polyphenol prevention of human lung carcinoma metastasis might be through inhibiting adhesion molecule expression to block cancer cell adhesion.

• BMB Reports
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• 제50권12호
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• pp.621-627
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• 2017

We previously reported the involvement of zinc-finger protein 143 (ZNF143) on cancer cell motility in colon cancer cells. Here, ZNF143 was further characterized in breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of ZNF143 in normal tissues and in tissues from metastatic breast cancer at various stages. Notably, ZNF143 was selectively expressed in duct and gland epithelium of normal breast tissues, which decreased when the tissue became malignant. To determine the molecular mechanism how ZNF143 affects breast cancer progression, it was knocked down by infecting benign breast cancer cells with short-hairpin (sh) RNA-lentiviral particles against ZNF143 (MCF7 sh-ZNF143). MCF7 sh-ZNF143 cells showed different cell-cell contacts and actin filament (F-actin) structures when compared with MCF7 sh-Control cells. In migration and invasion assays, ZNF143 knockdown induced increased cellular motility in breast carcinoma cells. This was reduced by the recovery of ZNF143 expression. Taken together, these results suggest that ZNF143 expression contributes to breast cancer progression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.1725-1729
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the second leading cancer causing death in women. Circulating tumor cells are among the prognostic factors while tumor markers are of diagnostic value and can be used for follow-up. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the prognostic significance of the serum CA15-3 levels, number of circulating tumor cells and histopathological tumor factors. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer were included in the study. Number of circulating tumor cells and serum CA15-3 level were assessed when metastasis was detected and diagnostic value was assessed. Presence of associations with estrogen and progesterone receptors, c-erbB2, Ki-67 proliferation index and histological grade were also evaluated. Results: Median overall survival of the patients with serum CA15-3 levels of >108 ng/dl was 19 months whereas for those with a low serum level it was 62 months. Median overall survival for CTC ${\geq}5$ vs CTC<5 patients was 19 months and 40 months respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. Conclusions: Prognostic significance of the CTC count and CA15-3 levels in metastatic breast cancer patients was demonstrated.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권14호
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• pp.5909-5916
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• 2014

Human papillomavirus infection (HPV) and HPV related immune perturbation play important roles in the development of cervical cancer. Since mature dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells (APC), they could be primed by HPV antigens against cervical cancers. In this study we were able to generate, maintain and characterize, both phenotypically and functionally, patient specific dendritic cells in vitro. A randomized Phase I trial with three arms - saline control (arm I), unprimed mature DC (arm II) and autologous tumor lysate primed mature DC (arm III) and fourteen patients was conducted. According to WHO criteria, grade 0 or grade one toxicity was observed in three patients. One patient who received tumor lysate primed dendritic cells and later cis-platin chemotherapy showed a complete clinical response of her large metastatic disease and remained disease free for more than 72 months. Our findings indicate that DC vaccines hold promise as adjuvant sfor cervical cancer treatment and further studies to improve their efficacy need to be conducted.